Commercial aircraft typically include an interior cabin that may be divided into numerous sections. A cockpit is generally separated from a passenger cabin, which may include a first class section, a business class section, and a coach section. The passenger cabin may also include one or more work areas for flight personnel, such as galleys, which may include food and beverage storage structures. One or more aisles pass through the passenger cabin and connect each of the passenger sections to one or more paths to one or more doors of the aircraft.
Overhead stowage bins are typically positioned above rows of seats within a commercial aircraft. Each overhead stowage bin is configured to be moved between an open position and a closed position. In the open position, passengers may place carry-on luggage within a moveable bin or bucket. Before the aircraft leaves a terminal, flight attendants ensure that each stowage bin is securely closed.
A typical commercial aircraft includes numerous electrical components within an interior cabin. For example, a passenger service unit (PSU) is associated with each seat, row of seats, or set of seats within an interior cabin of a commercial aircraft. The PSU typically includes a reading light and an oxygen supply, for example.
A PSU trough or channel extends over a length of an interior cabin of an aircraft underneath the stowbins. In order to supply power to the PSUs, numerous controllers are provided within the PSU trough. A power supply couples to each controller through a wire bundle. In order to provide power and control signals to each of the PSUs, separate and distinct wire bundles connect each controller to an associated PSU. Typically, the PSU trough is occupied by numerous wire bundles.
During a manufacturing process of an aircraft, designers specify particular controller locations in a drawing, for example, and installers interpret the drawing in order to find the separate and distinct controllers, and individually connect the controllers to the power supplies through the wired bundles. Further, the installers also connect the individual PSUs to the controllers through the separate and distinct wire bundles.
Moreover, wire bundles that are not in use are typically coiled and secured within the PSU trough, thereby occupying space therein. Further, the unused wire bundles are reviewed and distinguished by the installers to ensure whether each is in use or not.
Additionally, depending on a desired number of PSUs and/or other electrical components within an interior cabin, the various electrical components are first mapped. That is, installers determine the locations of power supplies, the locations of wire bundles, the locations of particular electrical components to connect to wire bundles, and the like. Also, in many instances, an installer may need to splice a wire bundle and connect it a particular electrical component, such as a light of a PSU. Overall, the process of connecting PSUs to controllers and power is highly variable, long, cumbersome, labor intensive, expensive, and not easily reconfigurable.